The Test of Academic Reasoning for Admissions, known as the TARA, is a two-hour computer-based test of critical thinking, problem solving and written communication, sat by applicants to specific courses at the University of Oxford and UCL and administered by UAT-UK, a testing body run jointly by Imperial College London and the University of Cambridge. It does not test subject knowledge; a strong performance depends on familiarity with the question format, without further study of the A-level syllabus.
Year 12 students applying through UCAS for 2027 entry need to check the requirement against their specific course, since Oxford and UCL apply the TARA to a defined set of courses, and a department that requires it for one course does not necessarily require it for every course within that department. Registration with UAT-UK runs to a schedule set apart from the UCAS deadline, and candidates who leave it too late risk missing the booking window entirely.
What is the TARA and which organisation runs it?
The TARA is administered by UAT-UK, the testing organisation set up by Imperial College London and the University of Cambridge, which also runs the ESAT (Engineering and Science Admissions Test) and the TMUA (Test of Mathematics for University Admission). Candidates sit the TARA on a computer at a Pearson VUE test centre, the network used for all three tests, with centres available in more than 180 countries. Cambridge co-runs UAT-UK but does not require the TARA for its own courses; Oxford and UCL do, and each applies it only to the courses stated on its own course pages.
- UAT-UK also administers the ESAT (Engineering and Science Admissions Test)
- UAT-UK also administers the TMUA (Test of Mathematics for University Admission)
Which universities and courses require the TARA?
Two universities currently require the TARA, and each applies it to a specified group of courses only, so Year 12 students need to check the course page for the exact route, such as BSc or MEng, they intend to apply for, since requirements can differ within the same department.
Even within a single course, the modules required can differ. Oxford's Economics and Management course page states that candidates applying to Oxford only for that course do not need to complete the Writing Task module, although their test appointment still covers the full two hours on the assumption that all three modules will be attempted.
- Oxford: Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE)
- Oxford: Economics and Management
- Oxford: Economics
- Oxford: History and Economics
- Oxford: History and Politics
- Oxford: Experimental Psychology
- Oxford: Human Sciences
- Oxford: Astrophoria Foundation Year, PPE route
- UCL: Computer Science BSc and MEng
- UCL: Computer Science and Mathematics MEng
- UCL: Robotics and Artificial Intelligence MEng
- UCL: Mechanical Engineering BEng and MEng, from the 2027 entry cycle
What are the TARA's sections, timings and question types?
The TARA runs for two hours in total and is divided into three modules of 40 minutes each, sat back to back in a single sitting: Critical Thinking, Problem Solving and a Writing Task. Critical Thinking and Problem Solving each present 22 multiple-choice questions, while the Writing Task offers a choice of three essay prompts, of which a candidate answers one, within a 750-word limit.
No calculator or dictionary is permitted in any module, and no marks are deducted for an incorrect answer, so candidates are advised to attempt every question instead of leaving any blank.
- Critical Thinking: 40 minutes, 22 multiple-choice questions
- Problem Solving: 40 minutes, 22 multiple-choice questions
- Writing Task: 40 minutes, one essay chosen from three prompts, maximum 750 words
How are TARA results reported and used?
Critical Thinking and Problem Solving are each scored on a scale of 1.0 to 9.0, reported to one decimal place, while the Writing Task is not scored by UAT-UK and is instead forwarded as a copy to the universities named on the candidate's application. Results appear in the candidate's UAT-UK account roughly four weeks after the test sitting, with an email sent to confirm they are ready, and are sent automatically only to the institutions on the UCAS application that require the test.
How a university weighs the score varies by course. Oxford's PPE admissions criteria describe TARA and interview performance as evidence of a candidate's future potential, considered alongside predicted and achieved grades, contextual data, the UCAS teacher reference and the personal statement, and it is not presented as a standalone cut-off score deciding an offer on its own.
When are the TARA sittings, and how does registration relate to the UCAS deadline?
UAT-UK offers the TARA in two sittings each admissions cycle, one in October and one in January, and a candidate may sit it only once per cycle regardless of which window is chosen. For 2027 entry, the October sitting runs between 12 and 16 October 2026, with most candidates tested on 15 or 16 October, and the January sitting runs between 4 and 8 January 2027.
Registration opens separately from, and ahead of, the UCAS application. A UAT-UK account can be created from 1 June, booking for the October sitting opens on 20 July and closes on 28 September 2026, and booking for the January sitting opens on 26 October and closes on 21 December 2026, so candidates intending to sit in October have a defined window of several weeks in which to register.
UCAS itself warns that some admissions tests carry a registration deadline earlier than the UCAS submission deadline, and the TARA is a case in point: Oxford requires all its undergraduate applicants to sit the TARA in October, ahead of its own UCAS deadline, with the Astrophoria Foundation Year the only exception, since its own January UCAS deadline allows its applicants to choose either sitting. UCL applicants who are not also applying to Oxford may choose whichever sitting suits them.
What test did the TARA replace?
At Oxford, the TARA has taken over from the Thinking Skills Assessment (TSA) for the courses listed above, and UAT-UK's own preparation guidance notes that the Critical Thinking and Problem Solving modules share a common history with TSA Section 1 and with Section 1 of the Biomedical Admissions Test (BMAT), which is why past papers from both are offered as supplementary practice on the UAT-UK site. The TARA is a newer requirement at UCL, so candidates should check the current course page directly instead of assuming it follows from whatever assessment a course used in previous cycles.
How should candidates prepare, and what mistakes are worth avoiding?
UAT-UK's own TARA specification and TARA Question Guide, both published on the UAT-UK website, set out the skills each module tests and the style of question used, and are the starting point for preparation. Two free specimen tests are available through the Pearson VUE landing page and use the same software and format as the live test, so working through them under timed conditions is the most direct way to become familiar with the test player before sitting the real thing.
- Assuming a university's reputation determines the requirement instead of checking the specific course page, since the TARA applies to defined courses only
- Leaving registration until close to the UCAS deadline, when the TARA's own booking window closes earlier
- Revising subject content instead of practising the question format, since the TARA does not test A-level knowledge
- Overlooking that the Writing Task is not required for every course-university combination, and preparing for the wrong set of modules as a result
- Relying on unofficial mock papers instead of the specimen tests and specification published by UAT-UK
Sources
Requirements, accepted tests and levels in this guide were checked against the official pages below in September 2026. They change from time to time, so confirm the current position on the official page before booking a test or making a decision.
- esat-tmua.ac.uk/about-the-tests/tara/
- esat-tmua.ac.uk/
- esat-tmua.ac.uk/deadlines/
- esat-tmua.ac.uk/tara-preparation-materials/
- ucas.com/applying/before-you-apply/what-and-where-to-study/entry-requirements/ad
- ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/courses/course-listing/economics-and-managemen
- ppe.ox.ac.uk/admissions-criteria
- ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/courses/course-listing/history-and-economics
- economics.ox.ac.uk/undergraduate-admissions-criteria
- psy.ox.ac.uk/study/Undergraduate-teaching/Undergraduate-admissions
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Frequently asked questions
- Is the TARA required for applicants to Oxford?
- Only if the specific course applied for requires it. Oxford's own course pages list the TARA for PPE, Economics and Management, Economics, History and Economics, History and Politics, Experimental Psychology and Human Sciences, and for the PPE route within the Astrophoria Foundation Year, and a course not on that list does not carry the requirement.
- Is the TARA required for applicants to UCL?
- UCL requires the TARA for Computer Science BSc and MEng, Computer Science and Mathematics MEng, Robotics and Artificial Intelligence MEng, and, from the 2027 entry cycle, Mechanical Engineering BEng and MEng. The requirement sits with the specific course, so applicants to other UCL departments should check the current course page directly instead of assuming the same rule applies across the university.
- Can the TARA be retaken if the score is unsatisfactory?
- UAT-UK allows one sitting per admissions cycle, in either October or January, so there is no retake within the same cycle once a result is received. A candidate applying again in a future cycle would need to register and sit the test again under that cycle's own dates and deadlines.
- Does the TARA replace the TSA?
- The TARA has taken over from the Thinking Skills Assessment (TSA) at Oxford for the courses that previously used it, and UAT-UK notes that its Critical Thinking and Problem Solving modules share a common history with TSA Section 1, so candidates preparing for the TARA can draw on official TSA Section 1 past papers as supplementary practice.
- What happens if the TARA registration deadline is missed?
- Missing the booking deadline for a sitting, which falls several weeks before the test dates and is set independently of the UCAS deadline, means a candidate cannot sit the TARA in that window and would need to wait for the next sitting in the same cycle where one is still available, or apply in a later cycle. Since courses that require the TARA will not consider an application without it, checking the UAT-UK booking dates well ahead of the UCAS deadline is worth doing early.
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